System and method for controlling operation of a printer by using an external memory

ABSTRACT

Provided is printer operation control system and method for a printer having diverse print functions by using an external memory. The external memory is used to store information on the availability of each print function. A reader is provided for reading the information on the availability of each print function stored in the external memory. Further, a function setting unit is provided for setting up the operability of software for each print function based on the information read in the reader. Even further, a controller is provided for controlling the operation of the printer based on the operability of each software set up in the function setting unit.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/312,931, filed Dec. 21, 2005, which claims the benefit under 35U.S.C. §119(a) of Korean Patent Application No. 2004-116298, filed Dec.30, 2004, the entire disclosures of both are hereby incorporated byreference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a system and method for controlling theoperation of a printer by using an external memory. More particularly,the present invention relates to a printer operation control system thatcontrols the operability of each function of a printer, and a methodthereof. In doing so an external memory is used that stores printingfunctions that are associated with different authentication levels.Thereby, the present invention makes it possible for a manager of aprinter to more easily manage a printer and for a printer manufacturerto reduce the production cost of a printer.

2. Description of the Related Art

Generally, in an environment where a plurality of printers are used,such as a company, managers want to provide printers efficientlyaccording to the printing requirements of a given department. Eachdepartment's printing requirements differ according to its workcharacteristics. For example, a black and white laser printer will bemore useful than a color ink-jet printer for a department doing simpledocument work. Whereas, a color ink-jet printer will be more useful to adepartment involved in frequent presentations. Providing printers basedon work characteristics not only satisfies the personnel of eachdepartment but also reduces the overall purchase cost of the printers.

Also, some managers may desire to control functions of a printeraccording to the level of printer performance needed in a department.For instance, providing a printer with numerous functions to adepartment that requires a great degree of printer performance whileproviding a low-cost printer to a department that only requires a lowperformance printer. However, significant time and effort is required tomake a decision on what printer best matches a department's printing andperformance requirement.

Accordingly, there is a need for a printer that can be customized toinclude a purchaser's desired functions according to his needs. Inaddition, there is a need to reduce the production cost of manufacturinga printer while still providing printers having the functions andspecifications as diverse as printers that are currently available.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An aspect of the present invention is to address at least the aboveproblems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantagesdescribed below. Accordingly, an aspect of the present invention is toprovide a system and method for controlling the operation of a printerby using an external memory and customizing and designing functions of aprinter according to the needs of a printer purchaser to thereby make itpossible to manage the printer easily and reduce production cost on thepart of a printer supplier.

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provideda printer operation control system for a printer having diverse printfunctions by using an external memory. The external memory is used tostore information on the availability of each print function. A readeris provided for reading the information on the availability of eachprint function stored in the external memory. Further, a functionsetting unit is provided for setting up the operability of software foreach print function based on the information read in the reader. Evenfurther, a controller is provided for controlling the operation of theprinter based on the operability of each software set up in the functionsetting unit.

Herein, it is preferred that the external memory stores information onone of a plurality of authentication levels for the external memory,with each of the plurality of authentication levels allowing a differentnumber of available print functions.

Preferably, one of a plurality of authentication levels is a masterauthentication level that allows use of all print functions and thegeneration of external memories of lower authentication levels withlimited print functions.

Alternatively, the external memory stores only information on availableprint functions among the diverse print functions.

Preferably, the information on an availability of each print functioncomprises an authentication level of the external memory and a tablecomprising a list of all print functions with an associatedauthentication level for each listed print function.

Preferably, the external memory is a flash memory including at least oneof a memory stick, a Secure Digital (SD) card, a Multimedia Card (MMC),a microdrive (MD), compact flash and a media card.

The printer includes a setup slot, for mounting the external memory,that is located inside or on the outside of the printer.

The controller determines whether the external memory is mounted or notduring initial operation of the printer.

The printer includes a display for showing an operational state of theprinter, and the controller displays a message on the display requestingthat the external memory be mounted when the controller determines thatduring the initial operation of the printer the external memory is notmounted.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a method for controlling operation of a printer having diverseprint functions by using an external memory. The external memory isprepared with stored information on an availability of each printfunction. The information on the availability of each print functionstored in the external memory is read. The operability of software foreach print function is set up based on the read information. Theoperation of the printer is controlled based on the operability of eachsoftware.

Preferably, the external memory is further prepared with storedinformation on one of a plurality of authentication levels for theexternal memory, each of the plurality of authentication levels allowinga different number of available print functions.

Preferably, the authentication levels for the external memory is amaster authentication level that allows use of all print functions andgeneration of external memories of lower authentication levels withlimited print functions.

Preferably, the stored information on an availability of each printfunction comprises an authentication level of the external memory and atable comprising a list of all print functions with an associatedauthentication level for each listed print function.

The printer operation controlling method can further include sensingwhether the external memory is mounted or not during the initialoperation; and if the external memory is not set up, requesting on adisplay to mount the external memory.

Other objects, advantages, and salient features of the invention willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings,discloses exemplary embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features, and advantages of certainembodiments of the present invention will be more apparent from thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram describing a printer operation control systemin accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an external memory comprising print functions of a printerstored as a print function table in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a printer operation controlsystem in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;and

FIG. 4 is a flowchart describing a printer operation control method inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Throughout the drawings, the same drawing reference numerals will beunderstood to refer to the same elements, features, and structures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

The matters defined in the description such as a detailed constructionand elements are provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding ofthe embodiments of the invention. Accordingly, those of ordinary skillin the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of theembodiments described herein can be made without departing from thescope and spirit of the invention. Also, descriptions of well-knownfunctions and constructions are omitted for clarity and conciseness.

As shown in FIG. 1, the printer operation control system using anexternal memory 10 includes an external memory 10, a reader 23, afunction setting unit 21, a display 25, a controller 20, and a softwareblock 30.

The external memory 10 stores, preferably in the form of a table,information on all types of print functions supported by a printer andinformation to determine the availability of each print function.

As shown in FIG. 2, the table lists the names of the print functions andtheir associated authentication level. Also shown is the authenticationlevel of the memory. The authentication levels are used in determiningthe availability of the print functions.

Herein, the types of print functions include emulation, manual mode,printing on both sides, that is, duplex printing, printing withoutmargins, printing multiple pages on one page, toner saving, paper typesetting, and copy.

The function of emulation includes PS3 emulation, PCL emulation, EPSONemulation, and KSSM emulation. The emulations support fonts provided byADOBE, HP and EPSON, respectively, and the KSSM emulation supports DOS.The manual mode function is for providing paper from a predeterminedtray when a corresponding button is selected prior to printing. Theduplex printing function is for printing on both sides of a piece ofpaper. The toner saving function extends the toner's operating life bycontrolling the quantity of toner used. The printing without marginsfunction is for printing without margins. The multipages-on-one-pageprinting function is for printing multiple pages on one page. The papertype setting function establishes the type of paper in accordance withthe paper's thickness or color.

The function of copy is used to set up the number of pieces of paper tobe printed that are duplicates of one another. However, the function ofcopy is not used by an application program that supports using a driverto set up the number of copies to print. Instead, the function of copyis applied in the case where there is no driver supporting the printing,such as with a DOS file.

The availability of the print functions is determined based on anauthentication level associated with each print function and theauthentication level of the external memory 10. The authentication levelof the external memory 10 and the authentication levels associated witheach print function are individually chosen to be one of a plurality ofpossible authentication levels at the discretion of a printer's manageror supplier.

In an exemplary embodiment, there are three levels of authentication forthe external memory 10, such as, a master level, a first level, and asecond level. The master level is a level authenticating the use of allprint functions. The first level is a level lower than the master leveland it allows about two-thirds of the print functions allowed by themaster level. The second level is the lowest level and it allows about aone-third of the print functions allowed by the master level. In FIG. 2,the authentication level associated with each print function is markedin the authentication level column next to its associated printfunction. The print functions available only in the master level aremarked as M in the authentication level column, and the print functionsavailable in the first and second levels are marked as 1 and 2,respectively. Herein, the print functions associated with the first andsecond levels can be performed in the master level, and the printfunctions associated with the second level can be performed in the firstlevel. The print function table can be stored in the external memory 10in the same form regardless of the external memory's 10 authenticationlevel. The authentication level of the external memory 10 is stored withthe external memory 10 in order to determine the external memory's 10authentication level.

For example, as illustrated in FIG. 2, when the authentication level ofthe external memory 10 is the first level, the printer with the externalmemory 10 can perform the functions associated with the first level,which comprise PCL emulation, manual mode, and multiple pages on onepage printing, and the functions associated with the second level, whichcomprise PS3 emulation, printing without margins, toner saving, andpaper type setup.

The manager of a master-level external memory 10 can modify informationon the print functions in first or second-level external memories 10.Also, the manager of a master-level external memory 10 can reestablishthe functions in first or second-level external memories 10. Also, it ispossible for a manager to setup a printer to be used even when theexternal memory 10 is not mounted in the printer. For this purpose, themanager is given an authentication number.

External memories 10 assigned with first and second levels can bedistributed by the manager to each employee or department according tothe employee's or department's printing requirement and required levelof printing performance. Herein, the concept of a manager is not limitedto a person in a company as it can be extended to a printer supplier aswell. Thereby, a printer supplier can provide the same printers atdifferent price points by limiting the print functions according to theprice desired by a printer purchaser. For example, if a purchaser wantsa relatively expensive product, the supplier provides a printer with amaster-level external memory 10, and if the purchaser wants a low-priceproduct, the supplier can provide the printer with an external memoryassigned with a first or second level. Herein, it is preferable for aprinter supplier that the external memory 10 be mounted inside theprinter to prevent the purchaser from easily manipulating the contentsof the external memory 10.

The external memory is detachably mounted in a setup slot (not shown)inside or on the outside of the printer and it can be fabricated byusing a flash memory card. The types of flash memory cards currentlyavailable include MEMORY STICK, SECURE DIGITAL (SD) CARD, MULTIMEDIACARD (MMC), MICRODRIVE (MD), COMPACT FLASH, SMART MEDIA CARD and thelike. Memory cards are used widely, because when compared to other typesof memories, they are convenient to use, highly stable, fast in speed,have large capacity and are economical in price.

Among them, MEMORY STICK has been exclusively developed by the SonyCompany in 1998 and is optimized for the products of the Sony Company.It is quite stable compared to other memory cards but it has theshortcomings of being expensive, slow, and having limited capacity.

COMPACT FLASH is large compared to other memory cards. This is becauseit includes a flash memory chip for storing data and a controller chipfor transmitting the data to a computer. However, it is the most stable,fastest and least expensive of the flash memories.

MICRODRIVE has an advantage that it is the least expensive high-capacitymemory. However, it is easily broken by an external impact and it doesnot work properly at a low temperature.

The SECURE DIGITAL CARD and the MULTIMEDIA CARD are memory cards of thesame specification, and they are compatible in most devices. Since theMMC card is more expensive, slower, and less stable than the SECUREDIGITAL CARD, the SECURE DIGITAL CARD is more predominantly used.

The SMART MEDIA CARD, an ultra-thin flash memory developed in the earlydays along with a COMPACT FLASH memory, is very inexpensive and small.It is preferred for use in compact digital cameras. However, it has asmall capacity and since the memory area is exposed, it is veryunstable.

In order to perform the aforementioned print functions, software foroperating devices in the printer is needed. The software is providedindividually for each print function. In the present invention, softwarefor a set of print functions is referred to as a software block 30.

When the external memory 10 is mounted in the printer, the reader 23reads the print function table stored in the external memory 10 and theauthentication level of the external memory 10. Herein, the reader 23individually determines the available print functions by reading theprint function table and extracting information on the available printfunctions by correlating the print function table with theauthentication level of the external memory 10.

The function setting unit 21 sets up the operability of software foreach available print function, i.e., operability of each software, basedon the available the print functions determined by the reader 23. Forexample, for a master-level external memory, the function setting unit21 sets up all of the software in software block 30 to be operable.However, for a second-level external memory 10, as illustrated in FIG.2, the function setting unit 21 sets up the operability of the softwarecorresponding to the second-level print functions, such as, PS3emulation, printing without margins, toner saving, and paper type.

The display 25 shows the authentication level of the current externalmemory 10 and whether software is set up to be operated, based on theinformation stored in the external memory 10. The display 25 alsodisplays a message indicating that an external memory 10 is mounted or amessage requesting that an external memory 10 be mounted. The mountingmessages are displayed based on whether the external memory 10 ismounted or not during the initial operation of the printer.

Meanwhile, the controller 20 controls the reader 23, the functionsetting unit 21, and the display 25. The controller 20 determineswhether the external memory 10 is mounted or not during the initialoperation of the printer and, if the external memory 10 is mounted, itoperates the reader 23. Otherwise, if no external memory 10 is mounted,it displays a message on the display 25 requesting to mount an externalmemory 10. Also, the controller 20 monitors whether there is a change inthe authentication level of the external memory 10 by operating thereader 23 in real-time. This is done not only during the initialoperation but also as long as power is supplied to the printer. If theexternal memory 10 is exchanged and there is a change in theauthentication level of the external memory 10, the controller 20displays a message on the display 25 requesting a user to reset thepower of the printer.

Also, when the operability of the software is set up in the functionsetting unit 21, based on the result from the reader 23, the controller20 controls the printer by operating only the software set up to beoperated by the function setting unit 21 during the operation of theprinter.

A printing process of the printer using the printer operation controlsystem of the above structure will be described with reference to FIG.4.

First, at step S110, a printer is initially operated. At step S120, acontroller 20 senses whether an external memory 10 is mounted in a setupslot. If the external memory 10 is mounted, at step S130, the controller20 operates a reader 23 to read an authentication level of the externalmemory and a print function table which are stored in the externalmemory 10 to thereby determine the availability of each print function.

Herein, if no external memory 10 is mounted, at step S125, thecontroller 20 displays a message on a display 25 requesting that anexternal memory 10 be mounted. If the external memory 10 is not mounted,the controller 20 stops the printer from operating after a predeterminedtime. If a manager wants to use the printer without mounting externalmemory 10, the manager can control the printer in a default state byinputting an authentication number to operate the printer.

When the availability of each print function is read out of the externalmemory 10 in the reader 23, the function setting unit 21 sets up onlythe software for the available print functions to be operable. At stepS140, the information on the operability of the software is provided tothe controller 20.

If a user inputs a print option together with print data in this state,the controller determines whether the print option input by the user isan available print function for the printer. If the print option inputby the user is operable, the controller 20 operates the correspondingsoftware and outputs the print data. However, if the print option inputby the user is not operable, the controller 20 disregards the printoption input by the user, and prints the print data in a default state.In the alternative, the controller 20 can display a message on thedisplay that the printing cannot be carried out according to theinputted print option, thereby giving the user an opportunity forinputting another print option.

Meanwhile, at step S150, if the external memory 10 is changed in themiddle of the printer's operation, at step S160, information on a newauthentication level and print functions are read in the reader 23 inreal-time. Then, at step S170, the controller 20 outputs a message onthe display 25 requesting that a power button of the printer be used toreset the printer. When the user resets the power and operates theprinter again, at step S180, the controller 20 determines theoperability of each software according to the new authentication leveland print functions, by operating the reader 23 and the function settingunit 21.

Meanwhile, FIG. 3 is a block diagram describing a printer operationcontrol system in accordance with another embodiment of the presentinvention.

As shown, differently from the previous embodiment where the externalmemory 10 stores both a print function table and a authentication level,an external memory 10 of the present embodiment stores only informationon available print functions.

The external memory 10 of FIG. 3 stores information on duplex printing,SPL emulation, PCL5e emulation, and network printing. Thus, the shadedfunctions of a software block 30, i.e., PCL6 emulation, EPSON/IBMemulation, KS/KSSM emulation, and barcode printing, cannot be used.

Herein, SPL stands for Samsung Printer Language and the SPL emulation isprovided for Samsung products.

The PCL5e emulation is an upgraded version of PCL5 that interactivelycommunicates various states of a printer to a system and provides a userfriendly interface when informing users of any errors or various systemstates.

Network printing is a function for having a plurality of user terminalsprint on one printer that is accessed through a network. The barcodeprinting function facilitates barcode printing. The PCL6 emulation is aversion that steps up the output print quality by enhancing output speedand general graphic support. PCL6 emulation also reinforces the functionof character combining. The EPSON/IBM emulation is developed forproducts by the EPSON and IBM companies. The KS/KSSM emulation supportsDOS.

In the present embodiment, since no specific authentication level isassigned to the external memory 10 and since the external memory 10 onlystores the available print functions, it is possible to fabricate anexternal memory 10 having customized print functions according to eachuser. For example, an external memory 10 having PCL6 emulation andbarcode printing is provided to employee A, while an external memory 10having network printing and duplex printing is provided to employee B.Therefore, it is possible to provide a printer having print functionssuitable for the printing requirement and needed level of performance ofeach individual.

When the external memory 10 is mounted in the printer, the reader 23reads the information on the available print functions, which includesduplex printing, SPL emulation, PCL5e emulation, and network printing,and provides the information to the function setting unit 21. Thefunction setting unit 21 sets up the software corresponding to the abovementioned print functions into the operable mode.

As shown above, the printer operation control system using the externalmemory 10 limits the print functions of the printer by using theexternal memory 10. Thus, the printer's manager can select the printfunctions for a printer based on each employee's or department'sprinting requirement and needed level of performance. Thereby, themanager can improve the efficiency in printer management. For example,for an employee or department that does not need color printing or ahigh-quality graphic function, the cost of managing and purchasing aprinter can be reduced and the printer can be more easily managed by notincluding the color printing function and an emulation functionsupporting high-quality graphics.

A printer manufacturer can control the specification of printers bymanufacturing standard printers and then manipulating the externalmemory 10. Therefore, they can save production cost by simplifying theproduction line. Also, since they can instantly provide printers of anyspecification desired by users by simply replacing or modifying theexternal memory 10, they can satisfy the users and provide addedconvenience.

While the invention has been shown and described with reference tocertain embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled inthe art that various changes in form and details may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as definedby the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for controlling operation of a printerhaving diverse print functions by using an external memory, comprising:an external memory for storing information on an availability of eachprint function; a reader for reading information on the availability ofeach print function stored in the external memory; a function settingunit for setting up operability of a software for each print functionbased on the information read in the reader; and a controller forcontrolling the operation of the printer based on the operability ofeach software set up in the function setting unit.
 2. The system asrecited in claim 1, wherein the external memory further storesinformation on one of a plurality of authentication levels for theexternal memory, each of the plurality of authentication levels allowinga different number of available print functions.
 3. The system asrecited in claim 2, wherein the one of a plurality of authenticationlevels is a master authentication level that allows use of all printfunctions and generation of external memories of lower authenticationlevels with limited print functions.
 4. The system as recited in claim1, wherein the information on an availability of each print function isonly information on available print functions among the diverse printfunctions.
 5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the informationon an availability of each print function comprises an authenticationlevel of the external memory and a table comprising a list of all printfunctions with an associated authentication level for each listed printfunction.
 6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the externalmemory is a flash memory which is at least one of a MEMORY STICK, SECUREDIGITAL (SD) CARD, MULTIMEDIA CARD (MMC), MICRODRIVE (MD), COMPACTFLASH, and a SMART MEDIA CARD.
 7. The system as recited in claim 1,wherein the printer includes a setup slot for mounting the externalmemory. whether the setup slot is located inside the printer so as toprevent the external memory from being easily manipulated Or the setupslot is located on the outside of the printer.
 8. The system as recitedin claim 1, wherein the controller is also for determining whether theexternal memory is mounted or not during initial operation of theprinter.
 9. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the printerincludes a display for showing an operational state of the printer, andthe controller displays a message on the display requesting to mount theexternal memory when the controller determines that during the initialoperation of the printer the external memory is not mounted.
 10. Amethod for controlling operation of a printer having diverse printfunctions by using an external memory, comprising the steps of: a)preparing the external memory with stored information on an availabilityof each print function; b) reading information on the availability ofeach print function stored in the external memory; c) setting upoperability of a software for each print function based on the readinformation; and d) controlling an operation of the printer based on theoperability of each software.
 11. The method as recited in claim 10,wherein step a) further comprises the step of: a1) preparing theexternal memory with stored information on one of a plurality ofauthentication levels for the external memory, each of the plurality ofauthentication levels allowing a different number of available printfunctions.
 12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the one of aplurality of authentication levels in step a1) is a masterauthentication level that allows use of all print functions andgeneration of external memories of lower authentication levels withlimited print functions.
 13. The method as recited in claim 10, whereinthe stored information on an availability of each print function in stepa) is only information on available print functions among the diverseprint functions.
 14. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein thestored information on an availability of each print function in step a)comprises an authentication level of the external memory and a tablecomprising a list of all print functions with an associatedauthentication level for each listed print function.
 15. The method asrecited in claim 10, further comprising the steps of: e) sensing whetherthe external memory is mounted or not during the initial operation ofthe printer; and f) if the external memory is not mounted, requesting ona display that the external memory be mounted.